Ataraxia
Netflix has announced Season 2 of The Gentlemen, one of their latest series, and we knew we had to watch it – and what a surprise it turned out to be! Starring Theo James (Divergent) and Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), this series promises to be explosive. And that’s no exaggeration – right from the start, Eddie’s brother, Freddy, blows the head off the brother of one of the biggest drug traffickers in the United States, plunging the family into an unimaginable mess.
But let’s go back a little. The series opens with Theo James playing Eddie Haistead, the descendant of a noble family who chose to join the army. When he is forced to return home just before his father’s death, he has no idea what awaits him. The rules seem simple enough: generation after generation, the title of Duke and the family fortune are passed to the firstborn son. In the Haistead family, it’s supposed to be Freddy (played by Daniel Ings) who becomes the new Duke. However, the family didn’t anticipate that their father had other plans – he wrote a will leaving the entire estate and the Duke’s title to Eddie, not Freddy.
The problem? Freddy owes more than 8 million euros to a drug baron and is currently completely broke. Expecting to inherit upon his father’s death, Freddy loses it when he learns that he’s getting nothing, leaving him to face his debts alone.
Eddie decides to help his brother, but the family doesn’t have that much cash. Their wealth is tied up in assets, not liquidity, so coming up with 8 million euros isn’t an easy task. Eddie even starts considering selling the family manor.
Before he can dwell on it, he meets Susie Glass, the daughter of one of the country’s biggest marijuana dealers. She explains to Eddie that her father had made a deal with the Haistead family, allowing the Glass family to use their farm to grow as much marijuana as they wanted in exchange for 5 million euros a year. When Susie learns that the Haisteads might have to sell the estate, she steps in to help Eddie pay off Freddy’s misadventures.
The collaboration between Eddie and Susie faces many challenges as they take turns confronting various people involved in the U.S. drug trade (meth, cocaine, etc.). They must help each other and avoid betrayal if they want to see their goals realized. Eddie’s task is particularly complicated: breaking free from the Glass family, avoiding trouble, and settling his brother’s enormous debts.
Blending action and humor to perfection, The Gentlemen is one of Netflix’s best discoveries this year. Theo James’ flawless seriousness makes his role exceptionally well-executed, making him an equally compelling match for the Glass family. However, contrary to what the title suggests, The Gentleman also highlights the ingenuity and at times superiority of female genius through the character of Susie Glass. Nothing fazes her; she finds solutions to everything and proves to be a particularly tough and effective businesswoman. We also see her humanity, as she refrains from taking out one of her associates despite all the problems Jimmy unintentionally caused her. And on top of being absolutely badass, Susie Glass is always impeccably dressed.
Another character who left a lasting impression with her murderous insanity and machete is Percy, played with great precision by Martha Millan. Although a secondary character, Percy is unforgettable. She doesn’t hesitate to chop off fingers or decapitate people with her legendary machete, which seems to appear out of nowhere – and she’s always surrounded by luxury cars, often filled with drugs.
In summary, The Gentlemen will stick in your mind, and you’ll end up binge-watching the series because it draws you so deeply into its world where drugs and murder are entirely plausible. Available on Netflix, don’t wait to watch it – Season 2 is coming soon, and you won’t want to miss it.
